Publications

Making sense of SEN

11 February 2004, 57 pages

by David Boyle, Eleanor Burton

If you are a parent of a child with special educational needs, it can be down to a postcode lottery as to which services you receive. Typically, children from lower income families in poorer areas lose out as their parents don’t have the money, time or confidence to fight for the support their child needs or is entitled to.

NPC’s report, Making sense of SEN, looks at the services and support available for children with special educational needs (SEN) and their families.

Did you know?

Almost one in six children needs extra support in class, yet many teaching staff feel ill-equipped to teach these children

The statutory assessment process, which decides whether a child receives extra support in the classroom, can take seven months to complete.

The report highlights ways that donors can support children with SEN, including the need for:

increased training and support for teachers and carers of children with SEN

building the ability of mainstream schools to be inclusive of children with SEN, and

supporting parents in the costly and time consuming battle to secure services.

Despite the state’s commitment to provide education for all children, children with extra needs — including severe dyslexia, behavioural difficulties and hearing impairments — do not automatically get the support that they require. Parents often have to fight for a statement guaranteeing this support.

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